Pinterest also drove more sales at London-based Boticca than any other sales channel — 10 percent of transactions were influenced by Pinterest versus 7 percent that were influenced by Facebook.

Boticca found Pinterest users are less engaged, though:

What does this mean for other brands?

Boticca says it has 40,000 Pinterest followers across 67 brand boards, compared to 26,000 Facebook fans. Since Boticca chunks up its content into separate boards on Pinterest — like “Trend: NEON” and “Beach chic” — shoppers may use the boards to accomplish the “window-shopping” part of their transaction, using Pinterest to browse and then going to Boticca’s site just to buy.

Since Boticca has found that users from Pinterest spend more money on the site, the trade-off in time spent on Boticca.com may be worth it.

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The way Kickstarter works is simple. Enterprising individuals come up with a project idea and identify a target funding amount that is required to take their idea to market.  There are certain guidelines that a project must meet.  Once accepted, the project is run as an all or nothing proposition: Either the project raises all of the funding necessary to make the product, or it gets nothing.

The idea is that the only thing that has been holding these visionaries back has been coming up with the capital to fund their project.  You may have already heard of The Elevation Dock for the iPhone or the LunaTik Watchband for the iPod nano or even the Pebble E-Paper Watch, but here are seven equally great product concepts for iOS products that you may also be interested in supporting.

Galileo: Your iOS in Motion: Most docks are stationary and at their best can be adjusted manually to change the display angle of your iOS device.  The Galileo is a remote-controlled robotic dock that can be adjusted 360 degrees as it pans and tilts to point in any direction you desire.  Meant to control the direction that the camera is pointing, it adds the ability to use your iOS device like an expensive conference room video camera, giving your audience more control of what they are looking at during a video call.  It can also be used as a decent baby monitor while away from  home. (Kickstarter Link)

CloudFTP: Wirelessly share USB storage: One of the fully funded projects on Kickstarter, the CloudFTP can be used as a means of sharing your USB drive with any number of iOS devices.  Being fully funded means you can actually purchase the shipping product directly from the company.  It has an internal rechargeable battery that can be used to power the external USB drive, it creates its own Wi-Fi network for situations were none exist, and you can use it to attach to any sort of mass storage compliant device.  It can even be configured to backup your USB device to iCloud, DropBox and even Box.net. (Kickstarter Link)

Slingshot: Stabilizes smartphone video: Even though the iPhone 4S includes better image stabilization than its predecessors, we could all stand to hold our cameras a little steadier. The Slingshot does just that.  Working with a variety of different sized smartphones, the slingshot is designed to hold the iPhone in landscape mode which is perfect for shooting video.  Not only does it help stabilize shooting video on the go, it can also be used as a tabletop tripod and will allow you to mount the iPhone on almost any tripod. (Kickstarter Link)

CordCruncher: Retractable headphone cord: There are many solutions out there that will help you manage the cord of your iOS headset.  The trouble with most of them is that you have to be disciplined to use them as they take time to wind the cord around some sort of spool.  With the CordCruncher, the time required to wrap up your cord is minimized.  It has an elastic sleeve that can stretch to the full length of the cord, and retracts easily to scrunch the cord up inside.  It is a cord management solution that we could all use. (Kickstarter Link)

Brydge + iPad: Do more: For those among us that feel that the iPad is the perfect platform for a more traditional laptop form factor, the Brydge strives to mimic the look and feel of a MacBook.  More than just an aluminum case, the unique hinge is what sets this keyboard case apart from the rest of the available keyboard cases for the iPad.  (Kickstarter Link)

Day Maker: the Charging iPhone Alarm Toaster: Combining an alarm clock with a bedside charging station, the Day Maker is an interesting twist on just how one can converge the concept of a toaster with modern technology.  Popping up a ready-to-go, fully charged iPhone first thing every morning, the Day Maker allows you to snooze by resting the iPhone back into its charging position.  (Kickstarter Link)

JuiceTank: The first ever iPhone case and charger in one: There is one thing worse than realizing that you need to charge your iPhone: realizing you need to charge your iPhone and you’re without a charging cable.  The JuiceTank is an iPhone case with a concealed wall plug built in.  Also sporting a passthrough micro USB charging interface, you will never be without a charger again.  (Kickstarter Link)

Keep in mind that Kickstarter is not an online store, and you are not exactly placing an order for an established product.  If a project does not reach its funding goals, no money exchanges hands and you don’t get the product.  What you are doing is voicing your support for innovation by helping fund the launch of a new product or idea.  And with a little luck, you will be among the first to sample some great new innovative products.  Take a look for yourself and see if there are any new ideas you find worthy of your backing.

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The headrest mount, which works with Wallee’s existing iPad case mounting system, attaches to the headrest rail of any vehicle, and rotates in and out to provide viewing to one or more unruly kids who need entertaining in the back seat on long trips. It’s a simple, sturdy design in and of itself, but it’s really more impressive as the latest proof that Wallee’s creators at Studio Proper are into delivering long-term value rather than chasing short-term gain.

A lot of my favorite cases for the original iPad, including the ZAGGmate iPad keyboard case, required me to buy a new version in order to play nice with the iPad 2. The Wallee also required a new case, but it stung much less since all the accessories the case is designed to work with remained useful. Wall mounting disks, stands and a VESA mount still work with the new iPad 2 version of the Wallee case, and recent additions to the line, including a hand strap for easy one-handed use, and the upcoming Wallee Lock for secure, interactive iPad-based displays mean investment in the system continues to feel fresh, two years after the original Wallee’s introduction.

Most mobile device users will likely go through piles of device accessories that quickly become as outdated as the gadgets they’re designed for, so it’s nice to see a system that embraces and builds on its past, rather than simply starting fresh with each new whim of Apple’s design department.

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Tweeting while in the shower? Blogging while in the bathtub? The Lifeproof iPhone case makes it possible, and even manages to do so without adding much girth to your device or sealing it away in a cumbersome bag-style cover, like other alternatives.

A thin, yellow, rubber strip helps seal the case tight. While I didn’t take it in the shower, I did take the empty case into a bathtub multiple times and saw absolutely no leaks inside. I wasn’t quite adventuresome enough to try it with my iPhone inside, but third-party tests and user reports suggest it works as advertised. All the iPhone physical buttons are protected, and an integrated screen protector covers the home button. A screen top protects the headphone jack, and a flip cover protects the dock connector. The screen protector also didn’t take away from the quality of the iPhone’s Retina display. The speakers are protected with Gore-Tex, designed to let sound pass through but prevent water from getting in.

I was unwilling to fully test the shock protection with my own current-use device, but  I did a few drop tests with already cracked iPhone screen components and the protection was impressive.

As a functional daily case it had some drawbacks for me. The dock port is tight, and the only cable that fit in my tests was the one my iPhone came with. If you have a lot of third-party sync/charge cables, you may want to think twice about this purchase. However, Apple’s own cables fit just fine, so this may not be a limiting factor.

The headphone jack is deeply recessed in the case, requiring an adapter (included with the case) to use most headphones. It’s annoying, but not a major problem since you can easily keep an adapter attached to your favorite pair of headphones. I lost the tiny screw top protector (which seals the headphone jack when not in use) multiple times. Fortunately, Lifeproof provides an extra protector in the box.

While the home button is easily accessible through the screen protector, I found other controls such as the volume and sleep buttons a bit difficult to use. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is inconvenient.

Removal of the iPhone from this case was a breeze. I often had to remove it to work with my other iPhone-enabled devices. Typically, cases with high levels of protection require multiple steps to remove the iPhone, so the ease with which the Lifeproof comes on and off is a big plus.

Although callers did not notice a difference in sound quality during normal phone calls, they reported reverberation and feedback during speakerphone calls. I noticed the quality of the sound was a bit muffled, but I was told I received a faulty unit and the second one had improved sound. I also reviewed the instructional videos Lifeproof had online about the case, and made sure it was seated properly. Be sure to watch those videos, because properly fitting the case to your device can make a big difference in sound quality.

Generally, I really liked this case and would recommend it to anyone who works in environments where water damage could become an issue, or for anyone who simply wants more protection without a lot of bulk and complication. The need to use an adapter for the speaker jack, as well as some third-party accessories was annoying, but the cost of those is still much cheaper than replacing a water-damaged phone. Overall, this is one of the best rugged cases out there, with the added benefit of extremely high water resistance.

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A dock becomes the darling of the tech world

The simply-named Elevation Dock is on track to become one of the highest funded projects on Kickstarter, based on its opening performance this week (it doubled the LunaTik’s initial funding record). That’s thanks in large part to a rare endorsement from John Gruber, proprietor of Daring Fireball and Apple community tastemaker. The Elevated Dock has already accumulated $246,741 in funding from 2620 backers as of this writing, far beyond its initial goal of $75,000.

The Elevation Dock actually doesn’t do much beyond refine the dock concept in key areas — specifically, it adds weight to make sure it’s easy to dock/undock the iPhone with just one hand, and it also features a flexible design to allow for multiple device widths, meaning you can use it with an iPhone wrapped in pretty much any case. Also, it gets a significant upgrade in the looks department from standard Apple official offerings; bead-blasted aluminum construction means it’ll match your iMac or MacBook Pro perfectly.

These are a relative steal at $59 for a pledge that secures a pre-order, and if you want audio line out and a USB power adapter you can upgrade to a $79 enhanced model. Other color options and packages are available at higher pledge levels.

The stylus that’s also just a pen

The Elevation Dock may have exceeded the LunaTik’s initial funding record, but a follow-up project from Scott Wilson and MINIMAL, the LunaTik Touch Pen, is also off to a good start. It’s a stylus (we’ve seen a lot of those lately) but with a twist, in that it also doubles as a real pen.

Wilson’s expansion of the LunaTik brand has already exceeded its funding goal, raising $79,965 in just a few short days. The Touch Pen uses aircraft-grade aluminum in its construction, just like the Elevation Dock, but there’s also a plastic version for those looking for a little color or a cheaper option. The real appeal of the Touch Pen is that with a click of the button on the back, it goes from being a tablet to being a stylus in a second, so that you can switch between digital and paper writing seamlessly without switching devices. Just remember to click the pen nib away before you write on your device, but even should you forget, it probably won’t have any effect on the iPad’s glass.

The LunaTik Touch Pen pre-ordering starts at the $30 pledge level, which nets you either two plastic pens or one aluminum one. A $75 pledge gets you five plastic pens in CMYK colors.

The enemy of tangled earphone cords

One project that’s nearing, but hasn’t yet met, its funding goal is the Wishbone, an earphone cable manager that integrates with the cord of basically any buds or headphones you already have. It’s a simple, elegant design that doesn’t look like it should add much weight to your earphone cord, but will help make it easier to keep them stowed away when not in use.

The Wishbone clips onto a headset cord, and then basically lives there until you want to use the two arms splintering off the core to wrap up your cord and prevent it from getting tangled in a pocket or bag. It’s just one piece of plastic, and it costs very little to back: just $10 secures a pre-order for the white version.

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Your music, packaged as simply as possible

The ODDIO1 is a smart-looking set of headphones that can caddy your iPod shuffle, making it possible to have your music with you in a simple, svelte package. It doesn’t hurt that these have a bold, colorful (or not, if you opt for the black version) design, too.

The headphone cord is only exactly as long as it needs to be, and plugs into the shuffle once it’s in its cradle on the right earphone (you just slide the iPod in). Buttons on your device remain accessible thanks to a cut-out for the circular control panel, and the headband is made of plastic while the inside is lined with silicone for comfort. ODDIO1′s creators, Jeremy Saxton and Jacob Hall, tout it as the perfect package for those with active lifestyles who don’t want to be encumbered by cables or devices out-of-reach in pockets when snowboarding, using the gym or running, for instance.

ODDIO1 is available for backers beginning at the $35 pledge level, which comes with a choice between three color combos. For $200, you get the special Cupertino color scheme, and an iPod shuffle in a color you pick to boot. ODDIO1 is just getting underway, but it’s making decent progress toward its funding goal of $45,000.

A speaker in disguise

Portable speakers tend to be noticeable things. They can be good-looking or garish, but you’re not likely to miss one in a room. The Hidden Radio & Bluetooth Speaker is comparatively innocuous. It has a twist-and-lift design that lets you control how much volume you hear, and its creators advertise “room filling sound” from your Bluetooth-compatible device. Plus, boasting 30 or more hours of battery life, it won’t quit when you need it most.

The tiny, clean design and alternative connection options (it does have a 3.5 mm stereo jack, too) and more than 80dB of output make this an amazingly appealing device, for sound from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch wherever you happen to need it. Plus, at $119 for a pre-order of one metallic silver unit, or $229 for a pre-order of two in either silver or black, it’s a deal compared to a lot of currently available comparable tech. The Hidden Radio is also already funded; it currently has $229,717 in funding, far above its goal of $125,000, with 42 days remaining.

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Kid-friendly and kid-loved

The iPad and the iPhone have a knack with kids, as any parent and iOS user will tell you. The brightly lit, touch-screen technology that appeals at an emotional level to adults is no less effective on children, who are more liable to indiscriminately touch things to see how they react to begin with. Kids are also voicing their demand for iOS devices as soon as they’re able to; recent surveys found that iPhones, iPod touches and iPads topped the wish lists of children ranging from the very young to the nearly adult. In fact, 52 percent of children between the ages of zero and eight already have access to a mobile device of some kind, many of which are probably running iOS.

Cross-branding opportunities

Accessories and apps seem to be either fueling or cashing in on this trend, too, at a growing pace. Consider the partnership announced Tuesday between Disney and iHome, maker of audio accessories for iOS devices. Characters from Disney’s stable of brands will be adorning iHome iPhone docks, headphones, and speaker systems starting this holiday season, at major outlets like Toys ‘R’ Us and Bed Bath & Beyond. Think about it: A Kermit the frog docking alarm clock assumes a lot of kids either are already or will be sleeping next to iPhones next year.

Disney and iHome aren’t the only ones cashing in on the youthful appeal of Apple’s mobile gadgets. Perennial Apple accessory maker Griffin is partnering up with Crayola to create the iMarker, essentially a branded stylus kids can use in conjunction with a coloring book app. Both Disney and Crayola are playing it smart, taking parent-trusted brands and combining them with the expertise of industry-leading third-party gadget manufacturers who already know the ins and outs of making devices for Apple products.

A new vector for content-makers

It isn’t just accessories getting the kid-friendly treatment. Content producers have kids in mind with their iPhone and iPad offerings, too. PBS announced Tuesday (.DOC link) that its PBS KIDS video app for the iPad is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch, too. The iPad app, which launched in May, has delivered on average two million video streams per day to its more than 450,000 users, growing steadily since its introduction. Reaching out to iPhone and iPod touch users broadens the potential audience, so that kids can check out full episodes of programs like Sesame Street and Super Why on smaller-screened devices if they don’t happen to have a tablet handy.

This is just the beginning of a coming flood. Whereas once the kid appeal of iPhones and iPads was an unexpected bonus to a parent’s purchase, now parents are seeking out Apple devices with full knowledge that they also make good distractions and educational tools for their young ones. And since people are often even more willing to spend money on their children than on themselves, the market for kid-focused apps and accessories has likely only begun to heat up.

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iPhone becomes a mobile wallet, without NFC

The iLID isn’t the first case to double as a wallet, but it does look like a particularly smart execution of the idea. It adds very little extra thickness to the device, at 17mm, and it includes a flip-top design that makes access to up to three cards much easier, and also has an integrated money clip, plus a space for holding a key, too. Slip-in/out designs I’ve seen previously have fewer moving parts, but are potentially less secure and sometimes make it hard to get your stuff in and out.

It’s available in both black and white, and it’s about halfway to its funding goal of $10,000 with 10 days to go. A $30 pledge secures a pre-order. I think I could get away with just three cards and a key for most daily excursions, what about you?

A backward-looking addition to a future-focused device

Remember your old hard-wired telephone, with its spiral cord connecting the handset to the cradle? That springy cable made it so much easier to talk on the phone while wandering around or doing more than one thing at a time. The iPhone’s relatively short, fixed dock connector cable isn’t at all similar to that relic of a bygone era, which can be very annoying when you find your iPhone is out of battery and you still need to use it.

The Curly Cable is a solution that combines the best of the old with the best of the new, by adding an extending spring dock cable that can grow from 8 to 70 inches. That should make it way easier to talk and charge. Likewise with the iPad, which is even more difficult to use while charging, and because of its larger power demands, also needs to be plugged in a lot longer before it gets full. Fifteen dollars nabs a pre-order for the Curly Cable, which is a little less than halfway to its $1,500 goal.

A stylus you can’t lose

If the prospect of a stylus for your iOS device leaves you cold primarily because you worry you’ll lose it, the Estylo 1.1 offers an elegant solution. It’s a stylus that works with the iPad or iPhone’s screen. It’s made of wood that has a tip on either end: one for general use and one for more detailed work. The reason it won’t get lost so easily is that it’s also magnetic, which allow it to stick to the iPad 2 in the same way as Apple’s own smart cover.

It looks a bit like the pencil crayons we all used throughout elementary school, albeit with more modern, angular surfaces, and it will only cost you a $25 pledge for a magnetic version. The Estylo is also already past its funding goal of $3,500, with $22,137 pledged in total, so this one is guaranteed to ship.

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The Magic Cable Duo and Trio are two- and three-headed cables, respectively, that work with any standard USB charging block to provide power to your mobile Apple devices, and plenty more besides. They achieve this by partnering an Apple dock connector with a Micro USB cable tip, in the case of the Duo, and both a Micro and Mini USB connector in the case of the Magic Cable Trio.

Unlike other clumsy solutions I’ve seen, these cable ends aren’t arranged in parallel, sprouting off from a single source in an unwieldy bouquet. Instead, they are arranged in serial, with larger connectors popping down over smaller ones, or pulling up and off yet remaining attached, so they can be easily folded out of the way. It’s a little tricky to explain, but the picture should say it all.

The unique configuration means you won’t have to go hunting through drawers to find the right charger for your Kindle, your BlackBerry, your iPad, or any conceivable combination of modern mobile devices, really. Considering how fast Micro USB has become a widely accepted standard, you can probably satisfy most of your mobile needs with just the Duo. One Duo and one dual USB charging block should actually cover all of my current mobile device needs, in fact, especially since with 15W output, the USB adapter does full-speed iPad charging.

The Innergie Magic Cable Duo sells in packs with either its 15W dual USB adapter ($39.99), or its 10W car charger ($34.99), or both ($49.99), and the cables sell alone for $24.99 for the Duo and $19.99 for the Trio. Not a bad deal for stocking stuffers, considering how many iPads and iPhones will be under trees this year.

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Twice the suck makes for a very versatile iPad mount

The MobileMount is almost done with its funding efforts — there’s less than 24 hours to go before it becomes funded. But it’s already met and exceeded its goal, with more than $97,000 pledged as of this writing. For $25, you can still get in on the ground floor and receive one of the first devices, which is designed to stick to any smooth surface via two attached suction cup mounts.

So basically, one end could be attached to the back of your iPhone, while the other is attached to your counter, or to a window, for example. You can also use the included vinyl stickers to make it work with surfaces that have a rubberized back or textured surface, like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The suction cup uses a twist-to-lock design, which amps up the suction power and makes it possible for the mount to remain attached for “weeks,” according to its creator. The MobileMount comes in black and white, looks pretty cool, and is expected to ship in January 2012.

A stylus that goes the extra mile

A stylus may not be the most necessary of iPad accessories according to Steve Jobs, but doodlers and fans of handwritten notes might disagree. The iPen is a project that aims to cater to those individuals, tackling the deficiencies inherent in current iPad drawing utensils.

The iPen achieves this by working with an active digitizer accessory that plugs into your iPad’s dock connector port and “talks” to the stylus itself via ultrasonic and infrared transmissions. The added dongle allows for proximity sensitivity, precise drawing and writing, and palm input rejection, which is a really big sore spot when it comes to using the iPad as a notepad currently. It’ll launch with two apps at least that support the hardware, and the iPen’s creator is hard at work convincing other apps to introduce support, too.

The iPen so far has achieved just $8,680 of its $35,000 funding goal, but you can help by pledging $50 to pre-order your own kit via the early bird special, which is reserved for 250 early backers. After that, it’ll be $79 for one, which still seems like a bargain for those interested in being able to use a pen with their iPad without oddly contorting their wrist or sacrificing legibility.

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